Faced with the sudden arrival of the Upper Moons, Hakuji and the others' expressions turned exceedingly grim.
Over the years, they had gathered nearly all available information about the Twelve Kizuki. And now, of the Upper Ranks, all but Kokushibō, Upper One, had come.
Dōma glanced in surprise at one of the newcomers.
"Why, I didn't expect you to show up too, Tsukumogami (OC). I thought you hated me~"
The demon marked with the kanji for Upper Rank Three, clad in white mourning robes and bearing a single horn on his head—Tsukumogami—snorted coldly.
"Hmph. If not for Muza-sama command, do you really think I would set foot in your filthy den?"
Dōma casually draped a hand over Tsukumogami's shoulder.
"Ah, so you still can't let go of the fact that you couldn't defeat me during the Replacement Battle, hm? Don't be so bitter. Honestly, I'm getting tired of the title anyway. Why don't I hand over Upper Two to you? I'd rather like to see what it feels like to be Upper Three for a change."
"You bastard!" Tsukumogami slapped Dōma's hand away, glaring at him with venom.
"If it weren't for the fact that my Blood Demon Art is useless against an emotionless aberration like you, do you really think you'd be my match?!"
Another demon, bearing two horns sprouting from his swollen forehead, with a wrinkled face like an aged Hannya mask—the cowardly Upper Rank Four, Hantengu—spoke timidly:
"P-please, the two of you, stop fighting… I may be terrified, but Muzan-sama gave us an order. We're to finish them here and now. It's five against four—odds in our favor. Fortune is already smiling on us."
"I can hardly wait to rip out their bones and grind them into dust to decorate my pots!" sneered Gyokko, Upper Rank Five, his body hidden inside a pot, his skin bone-white, yellow eyes gleaming, lips a sickly green, and a purple fish fin jutting from his skull.
The last of them, Upper Rank Six, appeared only as an ordinary child. Unlike the others who bickered and postured, this one stayed at the rear, silent and vacant.
Hakuji sneered.
"Heh. And you think that's enough to corner us? I haven't had a truly satisfying fight in ages."
With a roar he declared:
"Technique Development!"
A twelve-pointed snowflake pattern spread beneath his feet. He added mockingly:
"You'd better hold up well, or I'll get bored."
He launched himself at Tsukumogami, the nearest opponent.
"Destructive Death: Compass Needle – Maple Flash Willow!"
With a downward strike of terrifying force, Akaza's fist shattered the ground like a pattern of leaf veins, blasting Tsukumogami off his feet.
But Hakuji's legs exploded with power, carrying him instantly to his foe's side to rain down a relentless flurry of blows.
"Ahhh, Hakuji-san is so impatient!" Gyūtarō cackled as he drew his sickles. "Guess I'd better hurry and pick an opponent too, or he'll hog all the fun. Blood Demon Art: Flying Blood Sickles!"
He slashed a storm of blood-forged blades at Hantengu.
Gyokko's beady eyes locked on Ume. "I can hardly wait to stitch your bones into my pots! Blood Demon Art: Blood Prison Pot!"
From a pot etched with wave patterns, he hurled torrents of water at her.
"Blood Demon Art: Eight-Layered Obi Slash!"
Ume unfurled a flurry of sashes from her body, intercepting the surging water and sealing Gyokko's path, their edges sharpened like blades as they lashed toward him.
But Gyokko ducked back inside his pot. Her sashes struck harmlessly against the surface, which remained pristine and unblemished.
"Blood Demon Art: Octopus Hell!"
From within, Gyokko extended his head and summoned forth a monstrous octopus the size of a house. Its tentacles lashed and coiled, tangling Ume in close combat.
Though razor-edged, her obi couldn't slice clean through the rubbery, resilient limbs. She was forced into a defensive struggle, parrying the octopus and Gyokko's assault.
Now Hakuji, Gyūtarō, and Ume had all found their opponents.
Only Dōma and the silent Upper Six remained.
Dōma wore his habitual false smile as he turned to the childlike demon.
"Mandō (OC), aren't you going to join in?"
But the one called Mandō gave no reply—only stared blankly at Dōma with vacant eyes before stepping back half a pace.
Dōma sighed helplessly, as though long used to this.
"Ah, you're still just as cowardly as ever."
He twirled his twin fans lightly, eyes sliding toward the Butterfly Sisters behind Koyuki.
"You know, I really do adore the two of you. If only no one interfered, things could be so wonderful. Even if you raise your blades against me, I can't bring myself to give up on you. Come now, won't you become part of me?"
Koyuki stepped protectively in front of the sisters, her tone firm.
"Protect yourselves. I'll be fighting too!"
"Blood Demon Art: Snow of Eternal Solitude!"
Dozens of spiked crystal spheres bloomed before her, hurtling toward Dōma.
"Blood Demon Art: Winter Lotus Icicle!"
Dōma conjured towering ice pillars, colliding with her crystalline orbs. The clash reduced both to glittering shards that drifted down like snow.
Atop the mountain of the Eternal Paradise Faith, demon clashed against demon, and the battle grew fierce.
Tsukumogami, fighting Hakuji, revealed his ability to manipulate illusions.
"Destructive Death: Disorder!"
As Hakuji charged to deliver a crushing blow, Tsukumogami's figure suddenly shifted before his eyes—transforming into the image of Koyuki.
Hakuji froze for a heartbeat at the sight of his beloved.
By the time he realized it was an illusion, it was too late.
Tsukumogami's hand pierced straight through Hakuji's left chest.
A twisted grin spread across the demon's face.
"Let me guess—what you saw just now was that woman, wasn't it? The one fighting Dōma as we speak?"
Hakuji's eyes burned with uncontrollable rage.
"Destructive Death: Air Type!"
With blinding speed, he unleashed a six-hit combo, his fists hammering like lightning.
But the strikes hit nothing—like punching into empty air.
When his vision cleared, Tsukumogami was already some distance away.
Hakuji ground his teeth, glaring murderously. But Tsukumogami only laughed maniacally.
"Ha ha ha! Yes, that expression! That is exactly what I wanted to see! Nothing delights me more than toying with the human heart, savoring every shift of emotion!"
"Destructive Death: Leg Style — Crown Splitter"
In fury, Hakuji darted forward again, unleashing a rapid series of ferocious kicks.
But once more his vision blurred—and this time, Tsukumogami appeared to transform into Gyūtarō.
Caught mid-attack, Hakuji's barrage of kicks struck not his enemy, but Gyūtarō himself—who had been pressing down on Hantengu's "Resentment" and "Joy" clones.
Gyūtarō groaned as he barely managed to defend himself from Hakuji's assault.
"Hakuji-san… if you're not satisfied with your current opponent, don't take it out on me. That really hurts, you know."
Both his arms were instantly shattered from the kicks—but within moments, they began knitting themselves back together.
Hakuji's expression darkened. "…Sorry."
Gyūtarō opened his mouth to retort, but another of Hantengu's split clones, "Apathy," suddenly attacked, unleashing a Blood Demon Art.
"Blood Demon Art: Roar!"
From its mouth burst a wave of destructive sound, the shockwaves tearing the ground apart wherever they passed.
"Blood Demon Art: Rampaging Circular Scythes!"
Gyūtarō encircled himself in spinning blades of blood, deflecting the brunt of the sonic blast.
Even so, his eardrums ruptured and blood trickled from his ears.
He paid it no mind, however, and once more lunged into the fray, clashing with Hantengu's emotional clones.
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